The newest iteration of Acer's Aspire R7 laptop series, the Acer Aspire R7-572-6423 ($899.99 list) comes with improved touch technology, a more efficient processor, and a larger hard drive, but is it enough to overcome the problems seen on the previous model, the Acer Aspire R7-571-6858? Like its predecessor, the R7-572-6423 features a flipping, folding display, and a swapped keyboard and mouse layout that is as puzzling as it is eye-catching. If you were tempted to buy one the first go around, the improvements will definitely entice you now, but the problems haven't been solved, making it hard to recommend.

Design
The Acer Aspire R7-572-6423 desktop-replacement laptop measures 1.1 by 14.8 by 10 inches (HWD), and weighs 5.22 pounds. The R7-572-6423 winds up being far bulkier than the Sony VAIO Flip 15 (SVF15N190X), which offers a similar sort of flipping and folding 15-inch display, but weighs under five pounds.

Like the previous iteration, the Aspire R7 offers superb sound thanks to four speakers enhanced with Dolby Home Theater v4 software enhancement. In addition to great sound quality, the overall volume is better than expectedit puts out enough volume to not only fill the room, but to be heard the next room over.

The 15.6-inch touch display still offers 1,920-by-1,080 resolution and a capacitive touch screen with 10-finger tracking, but it has been upgraded with an N-Trig DuoSense digitizer, making it compatible with the new Acer Aspire R7-572 Active Stylus, an optional accessory stylus ($49.99 direct). This upgrade makes the R7-572-6423 a good option for anyone who needs to draw or have more precise touch input than fingertips will allow. And for the designer who doesn't have the budget for something like the Wacom Cintiq Companion, the R7-572-6423 is a viable alternative at a much lower price.

The key feature that makes the R7-572-6423 stand out from other hybrid laptop is its Ezel hinge, a combination hinge and stand for the 15.6-inch touch display. This hinge allows the Aspire R7 to switch between five different modes: Notebook, Ezel, Display, Kiosk and Pad modes. In notebook mode, the display lines up with the back of the chassis, and looks quite similar to a standard clamshell notebook. In Ezel mode, the display is tilted, supported by the Ezel hinge to float above the keyboard, much like a separate touch screen monitor. The hinges in the Ezel stand are firm enough to hold up against your touches and taps on the screen, but you can still adjust the angle and (to an extent) the height.

Flipping the display over (facing back) puts the R7-572-6423 in Display mode, letting you show the screen to someone else. When flipped over from Ezel to Display, the stereo sound automatically switches as well, swapping right and left channels to provide properly oriented stereo sound to the observer. While this is a neat trick, I have yet to see an instance where flipping the display like thiseffectively giving up your own screen to show it to someone elsemakes any practical sense.

Similarly questionable is Kiosk mode, where instead of flipping the screen all the way over to show in front or back, it is set at a horizontal angle in between. In theory, the entire laptop can then be mounted to a wall and used as a customer service device. In practice, this sounds like more trouble than its worth, especially since there are less expensive purpose-built systems available to businesses.

Finally, you can fold the screen down, with the display facing out, and set low against the keyboard, sort of like a large tablet. The hinge puts the display at a bit of an angle, so it won't quite lay flat, but the angle actually makes for a more comfortable experience when using the touch screen at a desk or table. It also makes for a particularly good experience when drawing, especially when using the optional stylus. What it doesn't do, however, is make the R7-572-6423 any more portable than the average 15-inch desktop-replacement. It's still too heavy and bulky to carry around the way you might take a tablet or hybrid ultrabook, and the angled display is really best for stationary use anyway.

The largest problem with the R7-572-6423's unconventional design isn't the touch screen or Ezel hinge, but the inverted keyboard layout, which swaps the placement of the keyboard and touchpad. The reasoning behind this change is that the floating touch screen would block part of the keyboard in normal use, but with a touch screen, you're less inclined to use the touchpad. Whatever the reasoning, the end result doesn't come off as a thoughtful design change, but as a gimmick that actually renders the keyboard and mouse less usable. The touchscreen is blocked off by the display, but that doesn't mean you'll never want to use it, only that it's now an inconvenience. And by moving the touch pad (and the palmrest as well) above the keyboard makes the keyboard less usable, ruining the ergonomics of resting your palms and wrists on the keyboard as you type.

Acer has taken a step to fix this, including a foldable palmrest pad with the R7-572-6423 that can be set just in front of the keyboard to replace the missing palmrest. It sort of works, but the fact that an accessory has to be included to provide basic functionality only highlights the deep flaws in this design. However clever, the designboth the adjustable display and the flipped keyboard layoutcomprises the biggest problem with the R7-572-6423, and it is impossible to ignore.

Brian Westover is an Analyst for the Hardware Team, reviewing laptops, desktops, and storage devices.
As a child, Brian was frequently asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" His answer alternated between...

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